Story and Photo byStephanie BryantTripler Army Medical Center Public Affairs

HONOLULU — Tripler Army Medical Center played an active role in supporting the 2011 American College of Chest Physicians, or ACCP CHEST conference, at the Hawaii Convention Center, here, Oct. 23-26.

The conference is an annual meeting for the ACCP, a national professional medical society of international clinicians from areas such as cardiology, pulmonary, cardiothoracic and critical care medicine.

“The ACCP conference offers a simulation center that is world-renowned,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Konrad Davis, director, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, TAMC. “Several days of the conference are dedicated to simulation training. This year, about ten different simulation stations were available, to include airway management, bronchoscopy skills, ultrasound training in critical care, and advanced mechanical ventilation.”

ECMO provides both cardiac- and respiratory-support oxygen to patients when their heart and lungs no longer function. While normally performed on infants, the technique has seen progress for adult-use in the past years due to advances in technology.

In 2010, Osborn performed an ECMO procedure on an adult patient during a 4,050-mile medical transport. Since that time, he has helped organize an Adult ECMO program; training is scheduled to start next spring at TAMC.

ACCP members led instruction and offered hands-on clinical scenarios to highlight some of the things they can do with mechanical ventilation, both invasive and noninvasive, said Dominick Lyons, acting clinical educator, Respiratory Therapy Clinic, ACCP.

“The idea is to present information and then offer the opportunity to apply that knowledge and use it hands on,” Lyons said. “The information is retained better, and bottom line, our mission is to improve patient care.”

Another key component of the conference was the Centers of Excellence exhibit. TAMC showcased its critical care air transport in the Pacific.

The JMATT program uses Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and civilian assets to safely transport critically ill or injured patients within the Pacific theater.

“We work very closely with the (other services) to support all Department of Defense beneficiary requests for medical evacuation in the Pacific rim,” Beely said. “With a program like JMATT, it’s an honor to be recognized in an international forum. Clinicians from other countries were able to see our programs and can now take our ideas back to their countries and organizations where they can spur innovation worldwide.”